


Secrets and Lies

by aurilly



Category: Heroes (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-04-12
Updated: 2009-04-12
Packaged: 2017-10-02 19:33:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aurilly/pseuds/aurilly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Claire isn't the only one who can keep the Haitian's secrets</p>
            </blockquote>





	Secrets and Lies

"Did dad talk to you?"

Lyle isn't sure what she means, but plays it safe just in case. "About what?"

Claire's immediately becomes impatient, getting all huffy and talking fast. She always does. Lyle usually finds it obnoxious and self-absorbed of her, but he lets it slide today. It's been some day. "About me. He knows. And he knows that you know."

It's all Lyle can do not to smile. Dad may have known that Lyle knew, but he doesn't know that Lyle still knows. But he has to act clueless, so he looks blankly at his sister.

She continues to be all huffy when he doesn't respond. "My thing? That I can't get hurt."

Since he knows, he can hardly test it by stapling her again, much as he'd like to. That had been really cool, but it would be too drastic of a move, and probably result in her telling dad who would think Lyle needed another visit from the Haitian. So, instead, he simply punches her and jokes, "That didn't hurt?"

"Lyle, I'm serious. Now tell me what Dad said to you."

"I haven't seen Dad all day." It's the truth. Lyle hardly ever sees him, between his constant business trips---and only now does Lyle have an inkling that they're about much more than just selling paper---and long hours and focus on Claire.

"He was supposed to pick you up from practice," Claire says.

"Well, he didn't," Lyle lies. And secretly, his blood boils. Dad picking him up from practice. Oh please. Dad never picks Lyle up from practice. He never picks him up from anywhere. The only reason he'd picked him up today was so that he could do unspeakable things to him. Before today, Lyle had been wistful about his dad. He looked up to him and wished he knew what he could do to be important to him. But now, Lyle just hates the bastard. And he hates what he's done to mom. Once dad had left Lyle alone with the Haitian, and once Lyle had listened to those quickly whispered words of frantic illumination, it didn't take a rocket scientist to put two and two together and figure out what had been done time and time again to mom. Lyle had been spared, but she hadn't.

"Well, how'd you get home?" Claire continues to question. Lyle wonders if Claire knows. If she knows about the Haitian and why mom is the way she is. He wonders if Claire has been sent to check that the job has been done, if she's a spy. She's always been daddy's little princess. Why not be in the loop about this, too? Making sure that all the boring, non-special people like Lyle and mom have been 'taken care of.' Assholes.

Anyway, now it's really time to act. Lyle goes quiet, working his face into a perfect tremble of faux-confusion and worry. He looks around him, and looks at Claire with big pitiful eyes.

She falls for it. Leaning forward, she drops the huffiness and impatience entirely, and finally treats him the way he always wanted his big sister to treat him---with love and concern and a feeling like the two of them are in this together. At least that proves she isn't in on it. At least it proves she's on Lyle's side, on the Haitian's side, and not on dad's. "Lyle," she repeats slowly, pausing between each word. "How did you get home?"

"I… I don't remember," he replies dramatically, looking away so she won't see the lie or the relief in his face.

Claire is overcome. She holds his hand and takes in a deep breath. He can see her thinking as fast as she can. "Stay here," she orders. "Lock all the doors. Don't leave the house." She starts to run off, but then backtracks. Before he knows it, Claire has engulfed him in a tight and desperate hug. "Oh, Lyle," she whimpers.

He hugs her back. Saying anything would probably give him away, so he stays quiet. Daddy's little girl is in for an unpleasant revelation, and Lyle isn't sure he's ready to be the one to do it.


End file.
